Shrugging off twin defeats Tuesday in the Senate Finance Committee, key Democrats said they were exactly where they wanted to be in pressing for a public insurance option in the final version of a health care reform bill.

But pointing to centrist Democratic Sen. Tom Carpers (Del.) decision to vote in favor of the amendment by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)  after Carper opposed a similar proposal by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)  public insurance option proponents insisted they are making headway with the skeptical moderate Democrats theyll need to win over on the Senate floor.

Today was a very good day for the public option. It was given up for dead a few weeks ago, Schumer said Tuesday, just after his amendment failed in committee 13-10. But, what we find is, every time we debate it, whether its back home or here in the Senate Finance Committee, we pick up more support.

Schumers enthusiasm belied the fact that Conrad, a long-standing opponent of the public insurance option from a conservative-leaning state, wasnt swayed. Nor was Lincoln, who may face a difficult fight for re-election in a state won by the GOP White House candidate in the past three presidential contests. Baucus also opposed both public insurance amendments.

Baucus maintained that any bill that includes the measure cannot garner 60 votes on the Senate floor, saying thats why his bill includes a proposal to create nonprofit medical cooperatives instead. But other Democrats took issue with the Finance chairman.

The public option is on the march; its on the move, said Rockefeller, chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. I think with the time that we have before we get this to the floor, we have a very good chance of getting it passed.

As the Finance Committee opened its fifth day of working through the hundreds of amendments filed against the panels health care reform bill, Baucus noted that it was already the panels longest markup in 15 years. Absent the public insurance option proposals, the committee continued to decide most amendments along party lines.

Some GOP Senators appeared to put little stock in the Finance panels ultimate vote on the bill, noting that the Democrats have several opportunities to modify whatever emerges from the committee.

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March 13, 2015

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., right, hugs Harold Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, after the Congressman spoke at the IAFF's Legislative Conference General Session at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, March 9, 2015. The day featured addresses by members of Congress and Vice President Joe Biden.